Conveying apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

T. S. MILLER.

GONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.14,1904. 7

rHoMAssP'ENo R MILLER, or soUrH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed December 14. 1904:- Serial No. 236.851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of South Orange, Essex county, and State of New Jersey,,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Conveyin Appa ratus, of which the following is a speci cation.

In my application No. 45432 filed January 31, 1901, I have described a cableway primarily intended for conveying loads over the water between a towing and a towed ship.

One object of my present invention is to better adapt said apparatus to the conveyance of'loads from ship to shore or vice versa', althou'gh certain features of my present invention will be applicable to other urposes;

Irv-the accompanying drawings, lgure 1 is a side view of a form of apparatus in which I at present prefer to embody my invention. Fig. 2 is atop view of a ortion thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the s ore tower and tension device. Fig. 4' is a top, view of the ropedrum-engine. Fig. 5 is a detail thereof.

1 and 2 are two load rests separated by a gap 3. Cableway supports 4 and 5 are erected, respectively, on said load rests. A supporting cable 6 is stretched. across said gap between said supports and aloadcarriage 7 runs on said cable provided with a suitable hook upon which to hang the load. A traction rope 8 8 is stretched parallel with said cable across said gap between said supports and back again,- forming a traction engagement with the carriage 7. A tension device 9 operates upon the ro eway to prevent the sagging of the loa -carriage. depressor 10 operates upon the ropeway above the load rest 2 to deflect the r0 eway toward said load .rest "until the loa rests upon said load rest and can be unhooked from the carriage, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The ends of the traction rope and the depressor rope are operated, respectively,

.by the drums 11., 12, and 13, which are driven by engine 14 and are so controlled as to afford the actuation of said r0 es under the various conditions hereinafter escrlbed. A

support .afiording a running engagement 'which is shown at 15 is interposed between dependently.

anism 9. The cableway is made divisible at 46 and is supported from the head support by a hoist 4 In the specific application of my invention shown in the drawings, the gap is between the shore and a vessel anchored broadside to the shore; the head load rest being the deck of the vessel and the tail load rest being the shore. The head cablewa support 4 is the mast or rigging of the vesse and the tail su port 5 is a tower erected on the shore. T e cabl'eway extends from the anchora e 16 seaward of the vessel, over the vesse and over suitable sheaves on the support 5 to the suspended weight 9 to which its other end is made fast. The run 8 of the traction-rope extends from its point of attachment to t e load carriage 7 around the sheave 17, back again and between guide sheaves on the car--v riage 7, over a suitable sheave on the cableway support 5 to the rope drum 12 to which its end is secured. The run 8* of the traction rope extends from its point of attachment to the load carriage, over suitable sheaves on the cableway support 5, thence under the sheave 18 on the weight 9, thence over suitable sheaves on the sup ort 5 and down to the rope drum 13 to wine its end is secured. The weight 9 thus acts as a tension device upon both the cable 6 and the traction ro e 8, 8 The engine 14 is of the reversible ink motionclass and drives the drum'shafts 23 and 24. 13 run loosely on the shaft 23 and the ends of the traction rope are inversely wound thereon. A bolt or latch 25 operated by a hand lever 26 enables the operator to connect these two drums so that they move as a unit or to disconnect the same, so that they move in- They are respectivel proed with independently o erated brakes 27 and 28 and oneof t cm is provided with a clutch 29 controlled by a hand device 30 whereby the operator may frictionally connect or disconnect the drum 12 and the shaft 23 at will. For further details of the drums 12 and 13, I refer to m Patent No. 761089. dated May 31, 1904. They may be revolved together ineither direction by'the engine or they may be permitted to run together loose in either direction, orthe drum 12 may be driven in either direction while the drum 13 is either held by its brake 28' or permitted to run loose. The depressor drum iction The drums 12 and i 11 runs loosely on the shaft 24 by which it may be frictionally driven through the clutch 31 controlled by the. hand device 32. The depressor drum 11 is also controlled by the foot-operated friction-brake 33 and is coninected with the depressor 10 by the rope I 34 extending under the sheave 35 at the tail load rest. v

The dc ressor consists of a block secured to the en of the rope 34, in which-block are mounted the sheaves 36;,- 37 and 38 engaging, respectively, the cable and the two runs of the traction rope so as to beada ted to defleet the whole in unison toward t e tailload' block suspends the two branches of the trac: tion rope 8 and the'cable 6 at a point be tween the traction rope sheave 17 and the load carriage so that the block has ample scope for runningjhacl: and forth upon the traction rope as the vessel'is moved by the waves without conflicting with the sheave 17. The block of the traction rope sheave 1-7 is provided with a suspending trolle 44 run- ..ning upon the cable 6 and is held in istended position by the rope 45 connecting said block with the anchorage 16.

ill)

' The divisibility of the ropeway may be provided for. as follows: A coupling 46 is placed in the cable 6 between the vessel and the seaward anchorage and another coupling 47 is placed in the rope 45. When the cables 'wayis in operation, as in Fig. 1, rolling or lurchin of the ship on the waves-is permitted; y the running engagement at sulpport 15 without undu 1y straining the cab eway 'or the rig ing. 1 he yielding tension 9 holds the whole, cableway taut while permittingit to be raised or lowered by either the block 15-01" 10. The independent operativeness of the friction drums 12 and 13 atopposite ends of the traction rope enables e rope to be adjusted to the proper length for movin the load carriage before the drums are oolted together and also enables the traction r0 e to be hauled in when the shi departs. he prorrimit to each other of t e levers controlling the t ee rope drums 11, 12 and 13, enables the operator to control the proper relationship between the transit movement of the carriage and'the delivery movement or depression of thecableway toward the tail load rest. After the trans: portation of the loadis complete, the carriage is first. hauled in to haul down 10, the

runninv sup orting block 15 islowered to the decli of t e vessel and detached from its supporting rope '42. Then the coupling 47 collected above the load rest 2. supporting cable 6 is uncoupled at,46 and the .is detached and the drums 13 and 12 imbolted from each other. Thereupon, by ap-, plying a brake to the drum 13 which will keep carriage up over 2 and the friction clutch to the drum 12 and running the engine in a direction to wind in on drum 12, the traction rope is hauled in bringing with it the sheave 17, the running su porting block 15, which are run in on the ea le 6 until they are Then the ends on opposite sides of the coupling may be secured tobuoys and dropped into the sea on opposite sides of the ship, which is then freeto depart. On the return of the ship, the buoyed ends'of the cable are picked up and one of .them is'passed over'the ship and recoupled to-the other. The tail sheave 17 is then run out on the cable and recoupled to the rope 45, The running supportingblock 15 is then run out and made fast to its suspending rope 42 whereupon the apparatus 1s in condition to operate;

Although I have described the apparatus as transporting the loads from the vessel to the shore, it may be used in the reverse direction for transporting from the shore to the I vessel, inwhich case the head rest would, of course, become the tail rest and thetail rest the head rest..

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a traction rope eXtend-' ing from the shore over and beyond a vessel, an anchorage seaward of the vessel whereby said traction rope is held distended,a load carriage operated by said traction rope and a support for said traction rope on the vessel between the load carriage and the seaward. end of said traction rope. I 2. In combination, a traction rope extending from the shore over and beyond a vessel and back again, a sheave in the seaward loop of said traction rope, an anchorage to Wllifil said sheave is secured, al'oad carriage operated by said traction-rope and a support on the vessel for said traction rope between the load carriage and sheave,

3. In combination, a traction rope extending from theshore over and beyond a vessel .and back again, two friction drums with which the opposite ends of said traction rope are connected, a sheavein the seaward loop of said traction rope, an anchorage to whic 1 said sheave is connected and a support on the ship for'said traction rope between said load carriage and sheave.

4.111 combination a carrying cable extending from a stationary anchorage over a 5. in combination, a carrying cable extending from the shore over a vessel to an anchorage seaward therefrom, a traction rope extending from the shore over and be yond said vessel and connected with said anchorage and a support on said vessel forming a running engagement with both said cable and traction ropes and a load carriage operated on said cable by said traction rope.

'6. in combination, a traction rope extending from the shore over and beyond a vessel, a seaward anchorage whereby said traction ro e is held distended, a support on the vesselhorming a running engagement with said traction rope and a load carriage operated by said traction rope.

7. lncornbination, a carrying cable extending horn the shore over a vessel to an anchorage seaward thereof, a traction rope extending from the shore outward to said vessel, two drums operating, respectively, on the opposite ends of said traction rope, a sheave in the seaward loop of said traction rope, a trolley supporting said'sheave on said carrying cable am a load carriage running upon said carrying cable and operated by said traction rope.

8. in combination, a carrying cable and a traction rope extending from the shore over and beyond a vessel, an anchorage for the seaward ends of the same and a yielding tension device for said carrying cable.

9. In combination, a carrying cable, a traction rope extending from the shore over and beyond a vessel, an anchorage for the seaward ends thereof and a yielding tension device for both said carrying cable and said traction rope.

10. in combination, a carrying cable and a traction rope extending from the shore to a vessel, a counterweight for the cable an anchorage for the seaward ends thereof, a support therefor on said vessel, a load carriage, a load landing and a depressor arranged to exert a downward pull upon the cable and the traction rope whereby the load is brought down to said landing.

11, in combination, two load rests on opposite sides of a gap, cableway supports erected upon said rests, a cableway extending between said supports, a connterweight for the cable a load carriage thereon, a tree.- tion rope, a cableway depressor arran ed to exert a"downward pull upon the cab away and an engine containing drums which operate, respectively, said traction rope and said depressor.

12. in combination, two load rests on op posits sides of the gap, cableway supports erected upon said load rests, a cableway be tween said supports, a counterweight for said cable a hoist whereby said cableway is suspended from one of said supports so as to be raised or lowered above the load rest adjacent thereto and a depressor arranged to exert a downward pull on the cableway above the other load rest to assist in delivering the load thereon.

13. In combination, a cableway extended over a vessel between anchorages onopposite sides thereof, a counterweight for said cable, and a running connection between said vessel and said cableway whereby said cableway is lreed'l ro-m the movements of said vessel. 7

14. In combination, a cableway extended over a vessel between anchorages on opposite sides thereof, a running block on said cableway and a hoist whereby said block'is suspended on said vessel.

, 15. In a conveying and loading apparatus, the combination with a vessel and an anchorage, a cableway secured to the anchorage and connected to and passing over the vessel in a manner to permit the free movement of the latter, a counterweight for said cable a carriag e on the cableway, a traction rope, and a unitary tension device for the cable and the traction rope.

16;, In a conveying and loading apparatus, the combination with a vessel and a stationary anchorage, of suspending means carried by the vessel, a cableway supported from and movable relative to said suspending means, means for raising and lowering the suspending). means, and a traveling carriage for the ca leway.

17. in a conveying and loading a paratus, the combination of a vessel, an anchorage, a counterweighted conveyor track or way extendin between the anchorage and the vessel, an yieldingly supported from the latter, a carriage on said way, means for raising and lowering the way adjacent to the stationary anchorage, and means for raising and lowering the way at its point of support on the vessel, l

18. In a conveying and loading apparatus, the combination of a vessel, a stationary anchorage, a counterweighted conveyor track or way extending from the stationary. anchorage to a point beyond the vessel said track or way being normally connected to the vessel at a point a relatively high distance above the deck oi'the latter, a carriage adapted to travel onthe way, and means for raising and lowering the conveyer track or way adjacent to the stationary anchorage, and a tension device for such track or way.

19, in a conveying and loading apparatus, the combination with a vessel and a stationary anchorage, a carrier cable extending from the stationary anchorage. to a point beyond the vessel, a pulley support for the cable at a point above the deck of the vessel, an endess conveying cable extending from the stationary anchorage to a point beyond the yes sel and also snip; orted by the pulley, means for raising an owering said pulley, and a carriage driven by said conveying cable.

20. In a conveyin and loading apparatus, the combination wit a vessel, and a tower, a carrier cable extending from the tower to a point beyond the vessel, an. endless conveylng cable extending from the tower to a point beyond the vessel, a Weight for the shore end of the carrier cable, a pulley support for the cables at a point above the deck of the vessel, means for raising and lowering the cables and an engine fordrlving the conveyor cable.

21. In a conveying and loading apparatus, the combination with a vessel and a tower, of a carrying cable extending from the tower to a point beyond the vessel, an endlessponveying cable extending from the tower to a point beyond the vessel. means for supporting said emcee I cables from the vessel, a cable coupled to the outer end of the carrier cable, a tension cable connected to the endless conveyer cable, and a carriage traveling along said carrier cable.

22. In combination, a cableway, a takeup and pay-out mechanism connected with one end thereof, and a haul-down ro fe having a running connection with said cab eway adja- .cent to said end.

In. testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. DERRICK, RICHARD W. SEABURY. 

